Joy Land
1. First love relationships
i. Devin, the main character fell in love with a female named Wendy.
ii. In the text, “people think first love is sweet and never sweeter than when that first bond snaps,” we analyzed that first time experiences are so magical and something you want to hold.
iii. Devin’s first love is not as sweet since the girl doesn’t show as much affection as he does.
iv. When you lose your first anything, the way you think of it is changed.
v. In context, Devin’s first love left him broken hearted so he’s proving that first love isn’t sweet in contrast to the quote about love being sweet.
vi. Devin’s obsession with Wendy wasn’t love; it was more of an infatuation.
vii. First love can be young love. What is love if you haven’t experienced it before?
2. Sex, sexual relations
i. Devin and his “girlfriend” plan to have sexual intercourse, but it never happened
3. Who gets laid?
i. Devin doesn’t get laid, but Wendy sleeps with the next guy that comes along.
4. What’s wrong with the man?
i. Devin might have insecurities that turn off his “girlfriend.”
ii. Devin puts a lot into the relationship but he is so blind.
iii. He is in love with the idea of the relationship but she isn’t as into it as he is.
iv. His interpretation of love is different from her love. They weren’t on the same page.
5. What’s wrong with girl?
i. She’s not interested in Devin.
ii. She’s superficial.
iii. She knows he’s a nice guy but can’t tell him in front.
iv. Wendy represents first love. She was the cause of all the internal problems in Devin.
v. She has that innocent and naïve in relationships because she is inexperienced with Devin.
vi. She is on a different page of relationship than Devin. Devin wants long term, but maybe she doesn’t.
6. “When it comes to the past, everyone writes fiction.”
i. Everyone has a past and who wants to share the bad and the ugly.
ii. People enhance their past.
iii. As time goes on memories become a blur.
iv. Things can be exaggerated and taken to the extreme than that of is reality.
v. In context, Devin tells the reader that is memory isn’t reliable, so things he may say aren’t true.
vi. If everyone writes fiction, whom can we believe? Is everyone lying?
vii. Everyone lies since fiction is not real.
viii. Pg. 27: The palm reader talks about the dark haired girl, which is Wendy, and Devin wants to know if she is in his future. Devin is caught up in the past, which is a fantasy.
ix. Devin talks about his relationship, but its one sided.
7. Creepiest song, why?
i.
8. How is love defined here? “Love leaves scars.”
i. Devin’s first love caused many issues.
ii. He can’t move on.
iii. He believes love is a visible scar, that it holds him back from putting himself out there.
iv. Psychological issues because he has suicidal thoughts.
v. Scars are permanent things, after experiencing love it changes how love is, reshapes it, and impacts how the person views it.
9. Pg. 53 Social status on everyone
i. The maintenance are all seen as minorities.
ii. Everyone has something to exploit in social class.
iii. The employees that were foreigners or undocumented got the lowest paying jobs.
iv. Males in Joyland had to put on the “fur” because women are beautiful are need to use it and exploit it.
v. The statuses
10. Pg. 86 Love=death of a friend. Why?
i.
11. Pg. 87 The Sick Rose by William Blake (Google it)
12. What other relationships in the text give you insight into the preview questions?
a. What about them? Demonstrate what they provide.
b. Pg. 89-91
c. Pg. 132-133
d. Pg. 169
i. Mrs. Shoplaw replaced Devin’s mom.
13. If relationship with the young children provide additional insight on Devin.
14. Can you synthesize this group of questions into one hypothesis?
i. What are the commonalities of love?
ii. How does love change as the time go on?
iii. How do these commonalities define and make this character as time goes on?
iv. How love is used? Why is it different from the way we use it then the way it should be? (Definition)
v. Love doesn’t matter on how long one has been with someone; it’s the connection one builds with another.
vi. How does Stephen King’ s text depict its outlook and understanding of love?